MarketCheck Data Feeds are updated on a quarterly schedule. This approach provides stability for existing integrations while still delivering regular improvements in data quality and coverage.
This page explains the release cycle, what to expect at each stage, and how to prepare for changes.
Before adopting a new release, make sure you:
- Know which feeds and fields your pipeline depends on
- Have a process for testing ingestion with sample files
- Understand how downstream systems might be affected by field or quality changes
Data feeds are released quarterly, with each release named after its deployment month (for example, “June 2025 Release”).
This cadence is different from API versioning and is designed for batch systems that benefit from longer stability.
Each release follows a 45-day cycle:
| Phase | When | What Happens |
|---|
| Notification | 30 days before | Email announcement with release details |
| Phase 1 Testing | Day 0 | Test file delivered alongside production |
| Validation Period | Days 1–14 | Clients validate changes and raise issues |
| Production Release | Day 15 | New format becomes default for all feeds |
The changes brought by each release can be categorized as follows:
New data feeds or fields that expand available data without affecting existing integrations:
- Impact: None on existing workflows
- Action Required: Optional opt-in for new features
- Testing: Recommended but not mandatory
Improvements to enriched or computed fields that may affect downstream processing:
- Impact: Potential changes to data quality or values
- Action Required: Testing and validation recommended
- Testing: Mandatory for impacted fields
Raw crawled values remain unchanged. Only enriched or computed fields may be updated.
30 days before release
You’ll receive an email with the release date, affected feeds, changelog, testing recommendations, and support contacts.
Day 0 through Day 14
- A test file is delivered alongside your regular production file
- File contains all upcoming changes but keeps the same structure
- Use this period to validate results, compare against production, and raise issues
- Dual delivery is available if you need more time
Issues must be reported during the 15-day validation window. After production release, rollback is not available.
Day 15 onwards
- The new format becomes the only active delivery
- Production file is updated to the new format, and the previous format is retired
- All feeds switch simultaneously
- Review announcement for relevant additions
- Contact
sales@marketcheck.com to enable delivery - Update pipeline when ready
- Test with the Phase 1 release file
- Identify impacted fields in your workflow
- Run validation with the test file
- Assess downstream impact
- Raise concerns during validation window
Rare, but if unavoidable:
- MarketCheck contacts affected clients directly
- Extended migration with dual delivery
- Hands-on support and custom timelines provided
Schema changes that break integrations are never part of routine quarterly releases. They are handled separately with extended migration plans.
When a field is deprecated, MarketCheck follows a clear, staged process to minimize disruption.
- A 90-day notice is issued before deprecation
- During this period, the field is marked as deprecated but values remain unchanged
- On the sunset date, if you have not requested removal, the field will stay in the schema but its values will be replaced with
null - You can request complete removal at any time after deprecation if you prefer a cleaner schema
| Stage | When | What Happens |
|---|
| Announcement | 90 days before | Field flagged for deprecation |
| Warning Period | 90 days | Field continues to work, marked as deprecated |
| Sunset | On release date | Field stays in schema but all values go null |
| Removal | After sunset | Optional – removed entirely upon client request |
Plan your pipelines to handle null values gracefully. This ensures that if you don’t request field removal, ingestion won’t break when values are nulled.
- Keep a dedicated test environment
- Automate diffs between production and test files
- Document expected ranges for critical fields
- Validate null handling and edge cases
- Assign a technical contact for release notifications
- Confirm receipt of announcements internally
- Raise issues promptly during validation
- Maintain your own change log for internal teams
- Review changes against your business logic
- Update internal documentation for affected fields
- Coordinate with downstream consumers before production cutover
- Schedule updates during your planned maintenance windows
MarketCheck provides enhanced support during the 15-day validation period:
- Email responses within 48 hours
- Regeneration of test files if required
- Emergency escalation available for critical issues
Contact support@marketcheck.com with feed name, impacted fields, and comparison data.
Priority support is only available during the validation window to help ensure smooth transitions.
If you need more time to validate, request dual delivery:
- Current and new format delivered side-by-side
- Extended testing window
- Gradual migration for complex integrations
Contact support with your requirements to enable this option.
Data feeds follow a forward-only model:
- Only one active version is maintained after release
- No automatic rollback is possible
- Clients are expected to migrate forward with each release.
This approach ensures consistent data quality, simplified infrastructure, and clear deadlines.